The Pivotal Role of Consultant Physicians in the Early Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: An Expert Opinion.
5 affiliations
- 1Department of Internal Medicine, Max Super Speciality Hospital, Saket, New Delhi, IND.
- 2Department of Internal Medicine, GYD Diagnostics and Reference Laboratories (P) Ltd., Secunderabad, IND.
- 3Department of Internal Medicine, Gleneagles Global Hospital, Mumbai, IND.
- 4Department of Internal Medicine, Saraswat Clinic, Bhubaneswar, IND.
- 5Medical Affairs, Cipla Ltd., Mumbai, IND.
Abstract
Osteoporosis and osteopenia are highly prevalent yet underdiagnosed metabolic bone conditions in India, contributing significantly to healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality. While approximately one-fifth of Indian adults suffer from osteoporosis, nearly half present with osteopenia, frequently undiagnosed when an unexpected fragility fracture occurs. Consultant Physicians (CPs) serve as the primary point of contact for these patients and are uniquely positioned to spearhead early screening, diagnosis, and preventative interventions. Continued efforts to strengthen awareness among healthcare providers and patients, alongside broader access to screening and diagnostic tools, could facilitate earlier identification and timely intervention. This expert opinion paper emphasizes real-world clinical insights from senior CPs across India, integrating contemporary evidence to outline gaps in screening feasibility and primary care management. It underscores an urgent need to reposition metabolic bone health as a fundamental primary care priority and to empower CPs to lead targeted screening initiatives to facilitate early identification of individuals with osteopenia who have an elevated fracture risk and support timely interventions to prevent fragility fractures and further bone loss.
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BibTeX
@article{mahajan2026pivotal,
title = {{The Pivotal Role of Consultant Physicians in the Early Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: An Expert Opinion.}},
author = {Monica Mahajan and Manjunath Dinaker and Rajesh Uchil and Bijaya Kumar Mishra and Prashant Palkar and Krishna Shriram Dhanasekaran and Sucheta Mehta},
journal = {Cureus},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.7759/cureus.116707},
url = {https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923904},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - The Pivotal Role of Consultant Physicians in the Early Screening, Diagnosis, and Management of Osteopenia and Osteoporosis: An Expert Opinion.
AU - Monica Mahajan
AU - Manjunath Dinaker
AU - Rajesh Uchil
AU - Bijaya Kumar Mishra
AU - Prashant Palkar
AU - Krishna Shriram Dhanasekaran
AU - Sucheta Mehta
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/22
JO - Cureus
DO - 10.7759/cureus.116707
UR - https://europepmc.org/article/MED/42923904
AB - Osteoporosis and osteopenia are highly prevalent yet underdiagnosed metabolic bone conditions in India, contributing significantly to healthcare costs, morbidity, and mortality. While approximately one-fifth of Indian adults suffer from osteoporosis, nearly half present with osteopenia, frequently undiagnosed when an unexpected fragility fracture occurs. Consultant Physicians (CPs) serve as the primary point of contact for these patients and are uniquely positioned to spearhead early screening, diagnosis, and preventative interventions. Continued efforts to strengthen awareness among healthcare providers and patients, alongside broader access to screening and diagnostic tools, could facilitate earlier identification and timely intervention. This expert opinion paper emphasizes real-world clinical insights from senior CPs across India, integrating contemporary evidence to outline gaps in screening feasibility and primary care management. It underscores an urgent need to reposition metabolic bone health as a fundamental primary care priority and to empower CPs to lead targeted screening initiatives to facilitate early identification of individuals with osteopenia who have an elevated fracture risk and support timely interventions to prevent fragility fractures and further bone loss.
SN - 2168-8184
ER -